


Anyway Love Does Conquer All

by seducing_a_vampire



Series: My Carry on Countdown 2020 [1]
Category: Carry On Series - Rainbow Rowell, Simon Snow & Related Fandoms
Genre: Carry On Countdown (Simon Snow), Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, M/M, POV Simon Snow, vanessa hudgens christmas cinematic universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-25
Updated: 2020-11-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:47:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27714284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seducing_a_vampire/pseuds/seducing_a_vampire
Summary: If you have people to watch terrible Christmas movies with, you have a family.
Relationships: Penelope Bunce/Shepard, Tyrannus Basilton "Baz" Pitch/Simon Snow
Series: My Carry on Countdown 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2027021
Comments: 6
Kudos: 22
Collections: Carry On Countdown 2020





	Anyway Love Does Conquer All

**Author's Note:**

> Day 1 of Carry On Countdown 2020!
> 
> This is what happens when I watch 6 Netflix Christmas movies in a week. 
> 
> I'm not sure how many of these I'll end up doing, but I had fun with this one :)

“Simon, you can’t be serious.” 

Penny stares at the words “The Princess Switch _”_ flashing merrily across the Netflix screen as she sits down to join Baz and me on the couch. Shepard and Agatha are still in the kitchen; Shepard is telling her some story about a time he had a water nymph living in his bathtub. I can tell she’s not listening as she artfully arranges the marshmallows in her hot chocolate.

“Pen, I am perfectly—” I begin, before she cuts me off. 

“The world already has entirely too many formulaic romance-driven movies with no real development or theme beyond a shallow and problematic message of ‘love conquers all,’ and we do not need to play into this economy any more than necessary.” 

I recognize Penny’s tone as the one she used to adopt when telling Agatha why she ought to care more about the political nuances of the World of Mages. (Agatha was always good at tuning out those conversations, too.)

Before I can speak up in defense of the Vanessa Hudgens Netflix Cinematic Universe, Baz clears his throat.

“Bunce, we are all entirely aware of the sociopolitical implications of the heteronormative movie industry. But it’s almost Christmas, and my boyfriend would like to watch this movie, so we are going to watch it with him.” 

Baz has a ghost of his old sneer on his face, but it’s softened by the sparkle in his grey eyes. His arm is tightly wrapped around my waist. I lean into him as I watch Penny’s eyes narrow.

“And anyway,” I say, grinning, “love does conquer all.” 

Penny sighs. “Fine,” she says, stretching out her legs and sticking her feet in my lap. “But you’re making the popcorn, Basil.” 

***

When I was a kid, I used to catch myself thinking about what Christmases would be like when my _real_ parents would find me and take me back to their mansion— huge trees, really fancy tinsel or some sparkly shit like that, cookies every meal, probably.

Now, I sit between my boyfriend and my best friends as they groan and cheer over the happy ending of this movie.

Empty bowls except for a few remaining popcorn kernels lay on the table as the credits roll across the screen. A decent amount of popcorn litters the floor and couch from when we chucked them at each other and the TV in turn. A cheap string of white lights is taped messily around the doorway leading into the kitchen.

Baz leans across me to look at Penelope and says, “So, Bunce, what’s the verdict?” 

“Honestly, the drama that these characters get into. Shouldn’t they be a bit more practical about completely uprooting their lives for people they barely know?”

  
“Hey, I happen to think the cross-continental love story is super romantic,” Shep pipes up, elbowing Penny and wiggling his eyebrows seductively over his glasses.

Agatha rolls her eyes.

I’m not sure if I’ll ever have a Christmas like I used to imagine, but I found this instead, and I’m not letting it go. 

**Author's Note:**

> [Talk to me on tumblr!](https://seducing-a-vampire.tumblr.com/)


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